项目介绍

2025年4月18日

The Language Technology Lab at the University of Amsterdam, in connection with the Hybrid Intelligence Center, is seeking a PhD candidate to research human-centric AI assistants that can communicate NLP decisions in interpretable and verifiable manner.

Some expert tasks can benefit from assistance from automated systems; for example, assigning reviewers to academic papers. As the cost of errors is high and the expert takes responsibility for the result, the expert must verify the system output and often reject or modify it. This can end up more time-consuming than working without such an assistant at all. We pose the problem as communication and develop an agent that learns to optimize and adapt its recommendations and supporting evidence generated, in order to be most effective for the expert to verify. A full-capability system would adapt to explicit and implicit feedback from the expert as well as to community-level effects.

This project is at the intersection of natural language processing, machine learning, communication, and user research. While we aim to develop generally-applicable methods, we will focus on a scientific assistant use case.

Note that this job opening is one of several job openings on the HI page with job openings. You can apply to more than just this one. If you do so, please inform the Hybrid Intelligence Centre’s Project Manager via email of the projects you are applying to.

What are you going to do?

You will research hybrid, human-centric assistants that can communicate NLP decisions in easy-to-verify ways. In addition to your research, you are expected to fulfill some additional roles and tasks within the lab and the research center as listed below.

Tasks and responsibilities:

• leading state-of-the art research on the project described;
• collaborating with researchers in the Hybrid Intelligence Center and the LTL,
• publishing academic papers in peer-reviewed international conferences and journals in NLP, ML, and related fields;
• presenting your work in national and international venues;
• assisting in teaching duties, for example as teaching assistant for bachelor and masters courses, and supervising bachelor and masters final projects;
• engaging in lab, institute, and research center activities, such as seminars and various rotating organizational roles;
• completing your PhD thesis within the appointment duration of four years.

Your main supervisor will be dr. Vlad Niculae (UvA). Within the Hybrid Intelligence Center, you will also be co-supervised by dr. Pradeep Kumar Murukannaiah (TU Delft) and prof. dr. Antske Fokkens (VU Amsterdam).

Your profile

Essential:

• A Master’s degree (completed or near completion) with a thesis in Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning, Computer Science, or similar relevant areas;
• Curiosity and motivation for pursuing fundamental academic research;
• A good background in natural language processing and machine learning;
• Solid programming skills;
• Professional command of the English language;
• A commitment to maintaining an inclusive, collaborative, diverse, and supportive work environment.

Nice to have:

• Background in user studies, surveys, or similar research involving people.
• Interdisciplinary research experience.

Interdisciplinary collaborations and backgrounds are appreciated, especially along fields related to communication science. If this describes you, we encourage your application.

If you are interested but unsure if you are qualified, please contact dr. Vlad Niculae before applying. If your Master’s degree is near completion, it must be completed before the start date. Knowledge of the Dutch language is not required for this position, but can help for living and working in Amsterdam. The UvA provides the opportunity to attend Dutch language classes.

We aim to create hybrid intelligence for everyone, see also our Diversity Statement. To do this, we need an inclusive and diverse team of researchers. We especially encourage people from underrepresented groups to apply for this job.We care strongly about respecting work-life balance and contractual hours.

Our offer

A temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The preferred starting date is September 2025. This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, will range from €2,901 in the first year to €3,707 in the last year (scale P). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile ‘PhD Candidate’ is applicable.

A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• a complete educational program for PhD students;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.